We Kentuckians sit a little straighter and, through pride, grow about 2 inches any time the name Abraham Lincoln is mentioned. Not only – as Americans – are we proud and honored call the same country home as this great man did, we – as Kentuckians – know, “He’s one of ours!”

Abraham Lincoln was born in a one-room log cabin on February 12, 1809 in Hodgenville, Kentucky to Thomas and Nancy (Hanks) Lincoln. He was named after his paternal grandfather, Abraham, and actually didn’t like being called “Abe,” for short. Not surprising, since nothing about this 6’4″ man was short – aside, of course, from his life.

Abraham Lincoln went on to become our country’s 16th President and arguably our state’s most cherished son… though I have three daughters who’d say the title belongs to Johnny Depp.

I tend to get over-excited about things I love – especially things that, like Genuine Kentucky, set out to promote Kentucky and Kentuckians. I’ll try to reign myself in, this once, and remain calm. Like Sally said in the commercial, though, “I can’t make any promises.” The only thing working for me, here, is that I’m only on my 4th cup of coffee. So far. Don’t judge me.

I hope you’ll click through any of the links (or the awesome print at the top) and check out their website and blog. When you browse through the different Kentucky products, you’ll notice that – due to their awesomeness – they tend to sell out.

Moral of the story: If you see something you love, buy it and buy it now. Not only is this the moral of this particular story, it’s also my life’s code.

Speaking of shopping, you could conceivably go ahead and do your Mother’s Day AND Father’s Day shopping NOW on Kentucky for Kentucky. You’ll blow them away with any of these wonderful, original gifts. Heck, as far as that goes, you could do a little Christmas shopping.

Did… did.. I just get carried away? Fortunately, Sally* and I never make any promises.

We have a lot of things to be proud of here in Kentucky. Our horses, basketball, hospitality, and food just to name a few. I think we can also be kind of proud of the outrageous things associated with our state. I don’t know how many times I’ve read about something kind of “out there” or unusual, only to discover that the story was connected somehow to Kentucky.

I guess all you can say is we know how to keep things interesting.

Our great state is associated with the word and/or color blue a great deal:

Of course you’ve heard of these. But have you read about the Blue People of Kentucky?

In a clear case of Kentuckians keeping things interesting again, it seems there was a woman in Kentucky, Luna Fugate who was “blue all over.” One of her relatives described Luna as, “the bluest woman I ever saw.” In 1975, Luna Fugate’s grandson (Benjamin “Benjy” Stacy) was born. Like his great-grandmother, the baby was born with a blue tinge. Methemoglobinemia is the name of the condition which causes the skin to take on a lovely shade of blue.

As talk of a blood transfusion took place, Benjy’s grandmother told doctors not to panic, that he simply looked like the “blue Fugates of Troublesome Creek.”

The Blue People of Kentucky aren’t limited to Benjy and Luna. In fact an entire family from isolated Appalachia were blue. Apparently, their ancestral line began six generations earlier with a French orphan, Martin Fugate.

Martin Fugate came to Troublesome Creek (near Hazard) from France in 1820 and… well… he happened to be blue. He married a Kentuckian named Elizabeth Smith, who also carried the blue gene, so to speak. Four of their seven children were blue.

Like many small communities of that time, a lack of railroads and limited travel into or out of the community caused it to remain very small and very isolated. Cousins married cousins and, like spilled paint from a can, the blue gene spread.

Luna, of course, came from the Fugate line. One of Martin and Elizabeth Fugate’s blue boys, Zachariah, married his aunt. One of their sons, Levy, married a Ritchie girl and had eight children, one of these children was Luna.

Luna married John E. Stacy and they had 13 children. Luna lived a long life, dying at the age of 84.

Apparently the arrival of coal mining in Kentucky in 1912 led to the Fugates moving away from Troublesome Creek. Thereby causing the blue people begin to disappearing.

One of my favorite television destinations, The History Channel, recently aired an outstanding and wildly successful miniseries, Hatfields & McCoys. Apparently viewers tuned in to this miniseries as though they were being paid to do so. I’m really not surprised, though. For one thing, it was a History Channel production – everything they touch is pure gold. For another thing, the Hatfields and McCoys are a fascinating part of our country’s history – especially in this neck of the woods.

In Kentucky, we grew up hearing about the Hatfields & McCoys so much that, for the better part of my childhood, I thought they were family.

If you’re a history buff like I am or simply interested in this very colorful part of history, a trip to beautiful Pike County, Kentucky might be right up your alley. Visiting the place where it all played out can help you visualize this 19th century conflict between the rival Kentucky and West Virginia families. Each historical site features a marker telling tragic stories from the infamous feud, serving as a reminder of how dangerous sheer unadulterated hatred can be!

Many tourists each year travel to eastern Kentucky to see the areas and historic relics that remain from the days of the feud. Improvements to various feud sites have been completed, and historical markers commemorate many key locales. Research by local historians has been compiled in an audio compact disc called the “Hatfield & McCoy Feud Driving Tour.” The CD provides a self-guided driving tour of the restored feud sites. It includes maps and pictures as well as the audio CD.

Hillbilly Days Festival

You might also wish to attend the annual Hillbilly Days festival in Pikeville, Ky., which each April draws thousands of visitors to the area of the feud for a weekend of regional entertainment, food, contests and celebrations. You can get more information on the festival at www.hillbillydays.com.

Dils Cemetery

The Dils Cemetery is located at the mouth of Chloe Creek and the By-Pass Road in Pikeville, Kentucky. Historians are always fascinated by cemeteries – and Dils Cemetery is an especially interesting one. This Cemetery is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as part of the Hatfield-McCoy Feud Historic District. Buried in the cemetery are: Randolph McCoy, the head of the McCoy clan, his wife, Sarah, their daughter, Roseanna (who ran away with Johnse Hatfield), their son, Sam and his wife, Martha.

But there’s even more historical significance: The cemetery is the first known cemetery in Eastern Kentucky to be integrated. Col. Dils let his freed slaves and their descendants be buried in the cemetery.

About the Hatfield & McCoys

The feud involved two families of the Kentucky and West Virginia mountains along the Tug Fork of the Big Sandy River. The bitter conflict stemmed from many causes, but the origins have been traced to divided loyalties during the Civil War and even a Romeo-Juliet romance between members of the rival clans.

The McCoys, who lived in Pike County, Ky., mostly sided with the Union during the Civil War, while the Hatfields, from neighboring Mingo County, W.Va., were aligned with the Confederates. The first real violence in the feud was the 1865 slaying of returning Union soldier Asa Harmon McCoy, generally believed to have been committed by members of the Hatfield family.

Between 1880 and 1891, the feud claimed a dozen members of the two families, becoming headline news around the country and compelling the governors of both Kentucky and West Virginia to call up their state militias to restore order. The governor of West Virginia once even threatened to have his militia invade Kentucky. KentuckyÃ¢â?¬â?¢s governor responded by sending his chief military aide to Pike County to investigate the situation. Besides a dozen who died, at least 10 persons were wounded in that decade.

The feud has entered the American vocabulary as a metaphor for any parties to a bitter rivalry. More than a century later, the story of the feud has become a modern symbol for the perils of family honor, justice and vengeance. Over the years, the feud has been the subject of several film portrayals, and this week separate feature-film and miniseries productions are debuting on U.S. movie and TV screens.

Pike County’s history is very intriguing and the Hatfields and McCoys have a lot to do with it. Click the link to learn more.

Jefferson Davis State Historic Site marks the birthplace of the Confederate president, Jefferson Davis. Davis was born on this site on June 3, 1808.

Kentucky has always taken pride in the fact that the President of the Union (Abraham Lincoln) as well as the President of the Confederacy (Jefferson Davis) were BOTH born in Kentucky. In fact, President Lincoln was born just over eight months later and less than 100 miles to the northeast.

More Facts About Jefferson Davis and Jefferson Davis State Historic Site

This Historic State Park features a 351-foot monument (obelisk) that was completed in 1924, 35 years after Davis’ death. It even includes an elevator.

There is a large Amish community in the surrounding area, so it isn’t uncommon at all to frequently see horses and buggies.

Jefferson Davis State Historic Site also has a museum, gift shop, playground, and picnic area.

Jefferson Davis was a graduate of West Point.

Davis served as both a U.S. Congressman and U.S. Senator (from Mississippi). He also served as Secretary of War under President Franklin Pierce.

Jefferson Davis married Knox Taylor – daughter of President Zachary Taylor. She died from Malaria only three months after their wedding.

The gift shop features Kentucky handcrafts, souvenirs, books and Civil War memorabilia. The site is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily through October.

There is a fee for the museum and monument.

The monument is the world’s tallest concrete obelisk and the United State’s fifth-tallest monument.

"When reading about a Kentucky event, please be sure you check the date. Old events are not always deleted from the website. If you have an event you'd like to see on Genuine Kentucky or a 'Made in Kentucky' food or product you'd like reviewed, please contact us! " ~ Joi ("Joy")

Kentucky State Parks

We have a special passion for Kentucky State Parks, so you'll find many articles and reviews centered around the beautiful state parks in Kentucky.

A personal goal is to visit, photograph, and enjoy each and every one of our state parks and eat at each of the state resort parks. Make no mistake about it, we're well on our way!

Bird Watching in Kentucky!

One of our greatest passions is birds and bird watching is an absolute favorite pastime. If you love our feathered friends and want to learn more about bird watching and attracting birds to your own backyard, be sure to check out our section dedicated entirely to Kentucky birds.

Kentucky Restaurants and Reviews

Kentucky Blogs Database

If you have a Kentucky Blog - or you're simply a Kentuckian who blogs! - you might want to consider adding your blog to a new KY Blogs Database. It's run by "one of us," as in a fellow Kentuckian! Click the link to check it out. I've added Genuine Kentucky and will be adding my other blogs as well.

Kentucky Pictures

Advertising & Reviews

If you are interested in advertising on Genuine Kentucky, please contact us: e-mail Joi Sigers.

Also, if you have a resort, condo, golf course, restaurant, or even a cup of coffee (LOVE coffee!) you'd like for us to review, please contact us at joi@genuinekentucky.com.

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We do not work for any Kentucky service or organization. We are simply proud to have been born and raised in the greatest state in the country and are thrilled to call it home. This site serves as our tribute to Kentucky and its warm and wonderful people. Our mission is to bring more travelers to Kentucky and keep more Kentuckians home! See our Privacy Policy.